Larian Studios - Status Update

Originally Posted by Dasale
Yes the Soldier approach suit better the action and the General approach the thinking, and well we all know modern games followed a dumbed down evolution, so not really a surprise there isn't much more games with a far point of view and sort of iso like view.

That is not true. Just about all of the games that many consider as the classic hardcore RPGs of the 1990s offered a 1st person perspective (Might & Magic series, Wizardry series, Realms of Arkania series, the early Elder Scrolls games, Betrayal at Krondor etc.).

And THEN came along Baldur's Gate with massively dumbed down features compared to those other games and simple Diablo-style point-and-click gameplay and it brought the "classic" AD&D RPG to the unwashed masses (the BG series sold over two million copies).

That's how it went down, dude, and -no- I still haven't quite yet forgiven the suck that was BG for eradicating the true classic RPG. It was a very tough three years from 1998 to 2001 suffering through all of the Infinishitty engine games and all of those poorly made BG clones until… in 2001… Gothic, the savior, came along and made up for (most of) the dire times.

Originally Posted by Moriendor
Realms of Arkania series

Partly, partly.

- in towns and in a few "dungeon"-like areas, yes, there's 3D
- during battle - no
- during travelling - no (just a red line indicating overland travel)

Originally Posted by Moriendor
That's how it went down, dude, and -no- I still haven't quite yet forgiven the suck that was BG for eradicating the true classic RPG. It was a very tough three years from 1998 to 2001 suffering through all of the Infinishitty engine games and all of those poorly made BG clones until… in 2001… Gothic, the savior, came along and made up for (most of) the dire times.

Yeah.. good luck with that.

If I didn't know better, I'd almost think you were trolling.

Isometric perspective has some advantages both in action and strategic RPGs. In action RPGs you don't have to mess with the camera control and jump right into the action. There's nothing between you and the gameplay. So, the game become more immersive in this way. This is what makes Diablo so popular, you can play the game with simple clicks. After Diablo 2 there were some action RPGs who includes 3d rotatable camera to the gameplay, but they couldn't achieve the popularity of Diablo games. Blizzard saw this and because of that they stick to the isometric view with fixed camera. For strategic RPGs, advantages are pretty obvious. You can easily see the battlefield and issue commands instantly to your characters.

Anyway, I played and finished Divinity 2 and its' expansion Flames of Vengeance. While D2 is a good RPG, it's not great as Divine Divinity. I don't know why, but when I was playing D2 I felt that something was missing. I can't decide, maybe lack of the first game's isometric playing style or the somewhat limited exploration.

Originally Posted by Moriendor
That is not true. Just about all of the games that many consider as the classic hardcore RPGs of the 1990s offered a 1st person perspective (Might & Magic series, Wizardry series, Realms of Arkania series, the early Elder Scrolls games, Betrayal at Krondor etc.).

Lol I believed from some snapshots that Realms of Arkania series was iso that's why when looking at the top ten you post I conclude you was trolling.

The first point is you need remove Realms of Arkania series from your list if you dislike Iso or even just want show Iso cannot means good RPG. The second point is as you quote your preferences as a proof, I could counter argue that I have myself a poor opinion of the few Wizardry I tried, and first 3 Might & Magic, all Elder Scroll but in part Morrowind.

But the real point is with your history rewriting you forget a little fast (just a selection not my selection):

• Ultima series,
• Albion,
• Darklands,
• Wasteland,
• The Magic Candle,
• The Dark Heart Of Uukrul,
• Dark Sun series,
• Final Fantasy series,
• Chrono Trigger,
• Fallout 1
• Fallout 2,
• Blood Omen - Legacy Of Kain
• Baldur's Gate 1,
• Baldur's Gate 2,
• Planescape: Torment,
• Arcanum,
• Divine Divinity,
• Avernum 1,
• Avadon,
• All golden box RPG used iso for the fights (well ok as far I know).

Lol it's a little big to ignore this list to rewrite the real RPG history. You really want face it a list of first person RPG?

Just play Avadon or any Roguelike to get an evidence of the depth of a larger point view at opposition to close point of view for action.

Originally Posted by Gokyabgu
Anyway, I played and finished Divinity 2 and its' expansion Flames of Vengeance. While D2 is a good RPG, it's not great as Divine Divinity. I don't know why, but when I was playing D2 I felt that something was missing. I can't decide, maybe lack of the first game's isometric playing style or the somewhat limited exploration.

I will not be a such extreme fan of isometric, or more exactly larger point of view, to take this conclusion. I think DKS is quite superior to Divine Divinity, because DD suffers of some flaws quite more than DKS like quality regularity. BUT the main area of DD right after the first little town, is just better than DKS, no comparison possible.

I think that pure first person 3D games are bound to vast empty area (Oblivion) or very limited area (Risen) because of budget reason.

The close point of view force implement a ton more details than for a larger point of view and the same area surface and elements included.

For sure a game like DKS is almost like an exception but still suffer a bit of the problem, limited dungeons, limited area, quite many empty stuff, and more.

Originally Posted by JDR13
Yeah.. good luck with that.

If I didn't know better, I'd almost think you were trolling.

Yes. His opinion might be extreme, but it is reasonable, in my opinion.

Remember how often I complain of too much combat for my taste in BG ?

The game has so few *real* social interaction that it really plays as if social interaction as suh was never really planned … Okay, there's lots of talking, the invention of bantering (I think), but apart from that … EVERY conflict is being "soved" through COMBAT inthis game ! Not even single one is without combat

In the area of what I call "social role playing", BG failed quite a lot , imho …

He isn't that wrong about BG I could agree on that, but about iso I don't think it's possible to be more wrong.

And a quote, sure social in Wizardry and Might&Magic series!!!